CSz Sacramento Blog - All Things Improv...And More!

Most people know improv through performance. Perhaps they’ve been to an improv show or seen one of the various incarnations of Whose Line on TV. But there is a large, separate field of improv called Applied Improvisation or AI for short. In broadest terms AI refers to the application of improv in a non-performance setting. For example, some people use improv for therapy, design, team building, negotiation, customer service, and many other uses.

CSz Sacramento has worked with many clients to provide custom AI engagements over the last 10 years. Here are a few examples:

Improving the active listening abilities among a phone based sales representatives for a high end real estate service.

Exploring differences of perspective for consultants within the health care IT market.

Strengthening presentation skills for warehouse shift leaders.

Building trust, establishing cooperation, and reducing gossip among school staff members.

Developing effective team work within and across departments at a major consumer service provide.

Enhancing communication among care providers and clients during home visits.

We customize each AI engagement by learning about the client needs, then drawing from an extensive portfolio of AI exercises and games. Similar to physical exercises, some AI exercise cover a broad set of topics while others address specific issues. Many well planned AI sessions will also include some exercise in which the participants work in small groups and some exercise in which everyone works together. The interactive nature of AI based training provides the opportunity for the participants to learn from the facilitator and through self exploration. Moreover, a key advantage of AI based training is that it is effective while also being fun for the participants. Laughter is usually a key part of AI engagements.

Here’s a partial list of private clients (training and entertainment) that CSz Sacramento has worked with over the last 10 years: